


Spear of Thunder

by CocoaNoir



Series: Warhammer 40,000: Fire Storm: The Path of Vre'Shi'ur [2]
Category: Warhammer 40.000
Genre: Astra Militarum | Imperial Guard (Warhammer 40.000), Breach Prime, Gen, Tau Empire (WH40k)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:41:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29399226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocoaNoir/pseuds/CocoaNoir
Summary: Requisitioned for the Fifth Sphere of Expansion, Breach Prime has found itself on a new operation. A contested Imperial world is locked in the wars of rebellion. Their current mission is a harrowing one: A train loaded with high powered warheads is being sent to the de facto capitol of the rebel forces, and it must be stopped. The clock is ticking, and the train is heavily fortified, staffed with a military force on a suicide mission, kept in line by an ornery Commissar.
Series: Warhammer 40,000: Fire Storm: The Path of Vre'Shi'ur [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2159697





	Spear of Thunder

****SKETHER UASH'O****

**OPERATION:** M'yen Or'es

 **REGION:** Nem'Yar Atoll

 **SEPT:** Ennua, Contested Imperial World

 **OBJECTIVE:** Safely stop or disarm rail vessel before it reaches its destination

 **KNOWN OPPOSITION:** Gue'la Kau'ui embedded on rail vessel

 **Embedded Gue'la Kau'ui:** Forces from remnants of Imperial resistance on planet. Upon meeting with Fifth Sphere, large portion of Imperial populace rebelled, seeking aid and safe keeping within the T'au Empire. Loyalists to the planetary government have since attempted to suppress the Gue'Vesa Rebellion. All offensives against the Rebellion have been denied by T'au support. Loyalists have become desparate.

 **THREATENED ASSETS:** Rebel capitol, "Ferrous." Three days ago, orbital imagery spotted a high activity Loyalist installation. A railyard with near constant military presence. Two days of monitoring have shown the result: Loyalists have outfitted and armored and underground rail vessel. Theorized that they are seeking to drive it into the heart of the rebel capitol. This vessel has been loaded with high yield ordinance with express intent of mass civilian casualty to punish rebel forces. They have also loaded Hydra platforms onto cars along the run for defense.

 **STRATAGEM:** Vessel is almost entirely subterranean, but there are three lengths of rail where the vessel breaches into open air. These lengths are offlets into cities, so destruction of the train is non-viable. Boarding will be difficult, and will require a concerted effort from our fighters and dropship. Fighters will draw fire, and dropship will move for aftmost car, shown to have the least defenses. Breach Prime will board there, and push for the front of the vessel. Ideal outcome will be stopping the vessel outright, but primary goal should be disarming explosive ordinance before it reaches its destination. A map has been uploaded to your gear to keep track of current location in relation to Ferrous. We will gauge speed of the vessel upon visual, and that will be used to keep the map accurate while out of OPS signal range.

****AWAITING STRIKE WINDOW: STANDBY****

"THOSE HYDRAS HAD BETTER BE PREPPED! I **WILL NOT** HAVE FAILURE ON THIS DAY!" A furious Commissar roars over whipping winds and squealing train wheels. He's stocky, if a little short, and his trenchcoat, a deep maroon, billows behind him. He clutches his hat to his head with one hand, whilst waving his pistol with the other. "WHY ISN'T HE POINTED SKYWARD YET?!" He shouts through gritted teeth, ensuring his cigar remains firmly planted in his mouth. It's barely a stub, whittled down by the winds on the train.

"THEY'RE RUNNING BACK THROUGH THEIR CHECKLIST JUST TO BE SAFE, SIR! THERE WAS A CATCH IN THE TURRET EARLIER, AND WE HAD TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR!" A guardsman shouts back in between his tasks around the turret. He gives the next strap a tug, ensuring it's secure.

The guardsman instinctively ducks when the Commissar aims for his head. "COMMISSAR ROOK! MESSAGE OVER RAILCOMM!" The serviceman is spared at the last moment.

Rook turns to the officer peeking from the car behind him. He enters the fortified car, slamming the door shut behind him, bringing a much welcomed reprieve from the clamor outside. Stowing his bolt pistol, he replaces it with a fresh cigar from his coat, and grunts. "Well, what is it, Hurley?"

The officer shuffles, showing signs of worry. A mousey sort, it's hard to see him as fitting in his officer's uniform. "Command says we've got no air support. The xenos just reached the airfield to the north. They need all hands to keep it."

The Commissar's shoulders raise, tightening with rage, and he slams a fist into the nearest wall. **"Damn these filth!** How do they stay ahead of us?!" He spins to his litany. "I want this train active, end to end! If you see a single guardsman dawdling or dragging his feet, execute him. We need to be prepared for anything!" He lights his new cigar and takes a deep drag, hoping to calm his nerves. Smoke leaves his lungs, cut up by the growl in his throat.

\----

<This is insane.> La'Tan'saro speaks casually, giving his blaster a once over, cleaning the rare smudge. <Seriously, they keep reaching new lows. _Bombing civilians._ > He scoffs. < _Sickening._ >

<I don't get it,> La'Yis, the youngest, chimes in. <What's their plan for egress? They're essentially riding on a missile.> Leaning on the butt of her weapon, she shifts a little. It's hard to tell if she's nervous or just impatient.

<There is no plan.> La'Tan'saro looks up from his blaster. <The Gue'la are going down with the ship.>

The team perks up with the thrum of the dropship's engines. The speaker to the front of the cabin clicks. <Pathfinders have spotted spotted movement from the end of the tunnel. Prep for deployment.>

<Alright, Kirsa'las, time for business.> Ui'Lunsu claps his hands a few times and gives them a shake, to get some blood into them. The shortest of Breach Prime, he's also second oldest, behind the Shas'vre. He tends to reinforce this by referring to everyone but Shas'vre as kirsa'la, "pup." He's fairly easygoing in speech, but in action, he's a hardened warrior.

<Shas'la, remember, leave disarming to either Ui'Lunsu or myself. We're specifically versed in gue'la ordinance, it's for the best that we handle it.> Ui'Shone'nan closes her handheld tool case. She'd spent most of this time thoroughly inspecting her defusal kit. Incredibly orderly and mission focused, she makes a studious effort to ensure instructions are completely clear before deployment. Shas'vre regularly refers to her as Sral, or "Op," as she tends to be in charge of intel and managing systems they have to deal with.

<Thanks, Ui'Shone'ma!> La'Tan'saro mimics a small child. It earns him a scowl from Ui'Shone'nan, which she holds as she lowers her visor. A running gag from the two Shas'la, Ui'Shone'nan and Vre'Shi'ur are seen as the squad mom and dad, respectively. They joke that the reason Shas'vre uses a short nickname for Ui'Shone'nan is that if he talks to her for too long, he'll get flustered. And he can't have that happen if he wants to keep up his appearances as a no-nonsense tough guy.

La'Tan'saro dodges eye contact, looking to the back of the ship. <Ui'Qan'suam, you sure you're ready? Maybe one more double check.> Ui'Qan'suam has been fully prepped by the ship's hatch the entire time. Towering in the scale of T'au, it's hard to get him to turn off once they leave base.

<You're in a rush for a beating today, La'Tan'saro.> La'Yis stifles a chuckle.

<La'Tan'saro, La'Yis, visors down and ready up.> Vre'Shi'ur stirs from his stoic rigor, crossing to set up at the hatch. <Breach Prime, be sure to check fire. One stray shot and our ride could end in the stratosphere.>

<'Don't shoot the explosives.' Honor to your boundless wisdom, Shas'vre.> La'Tan'saro fully extends himself, feigning nobility with a bow. Ui'Shone'nan swats the back of his helmet, and his visor snaps into place.

<La'Tan'saro, check your mouth. I don't deploy with faulty equipment.> Vre'Shi'ur maintains his deadpan calm and hooks his tether. Breach Prime gathers behind him, goading La'Tan'saro with 'ooh's and chuckles. He gives La'Yis a light shove while setting up himself.

The Orca lifts off of the rooftop, and begins its run, joined by a gathering of Razorshark fighters. In formation, they sweep around the city, coming up behind the tunnel for a rolling start. <Fighters, focus all fire on the anti-air. There's no telling which cabins have ordinance.> The Razorsharks boost ahead, putting distance between themselves and their transport.

<Rail vessel, closing fast. Gauging distance.> The Pathfinder on the bridge keeps his marker light on the train, as the ground begins to shake underneath him. <Arrival in 7, 6, 5, 4...> He trails off, letting the instruments do the work as he keeps on target.  
The train launches out of the tunnel. climbing the incline, it reaches the peak with such force that the wheels hover over the rails. They slam back down with a rumble, vibrations of the roaring beast pulsing through the bridge above the city streets, shaking the windows on the buildings surrounding it. Car after car comes pouring out of the tunnel, the train stretching for what seems like ages. The Hydras along the cars sweep about, hoping to catch a glimpse of hostile fighters. Guardsmen cry out, but their warning is drowned out by the cacophony of the speeding train.

Razorsharks swell up from under the bridge, and capitalize. The rearmost defenses are peppered with ion bursts. The first three Hydra from the rear are reduced to mangled wrecks. Up the train, turrets whirl towards the clamor and whine of twisting metal. The fighters weave off into the surrounding cityscape for cover. It does nothing to dissuade the storm of flak that crashes against the panorama of concrete. Buildings are quickly chewed away by the concerted fire of the train's defenses.

<Kisun'sha'ea, look at that thing! It's more heavily armed then some _fortresses_ we've struck out against!> The Razorsharks weave up and down, trying to keep their cover fresh in a sky quickly flooding with lead.

<Work your way up from the rear! The further back we are, the harder it will be for the turrets in front to get eyes on us!> The lead pilot sweeps under the bridge, coming around to hit one of the turrets from the rear. <We don't need to take out the whole train! We only need to give Breach Prime a window!>

 **"THEY'RE HITTING THE REAR OF THE TRAIN, GET MORE MEN BACK THERE!"** Commissar Rook screams into his radio over the thunder of the cannons. He keeps a hand cupped tightly to the earpiece to try and drown it out.

His radio screams back. "WHAT COULD THEY POSSIBLY DO? THE REAR TURRETS ARE DOWN!"

 **"JUST GET THEM BACK THERE AND TELL THEM TO _FIRE! FIRE EVERYTHING!!!"_** Rook takes loose aim at a fighter in the distance and fires. The men around him look on, and when he returns a scornful glare, they follow suit.

The Orca slowly closes on the caboose, keeping low to the rails. <Exercise caution, Orca. Movement towards the rear of the vessel.>

Guardsmen swarm through the cars towards the back, with all the guns they can carry. They're picked off in swathes with every pass of the fighters, but not enough to stop them from setting up. Heavy bolter turrets once planned for holding decoy cars are now pointed as far skyward as they can go, in efforts to peck at the bellies of the fighters. Lasrifles pop off blindly, praying for that miracle shot. A fighter jumps up, barely clearing a stream of bolter fire, and comes apart in a cloud of flak.

<Kor'el! This is getting a bit much! We go too high, we'll get eaten up by those Hydras! Too low, we're in range of those bolters!>

<Orca! You've got one shot! Sharks, gather at the back! We're clearing that rear platform, and if we have to, catching fire for Orca!>

The Orca rears up over the caboose car, and the Sharks sweep up around the sides. Burst cannons spin up and reduce the guardsmen on the platform to ash. A razorshark is clipped on the wing with a bolt, and jerks into sight of the anti-air further up, gone in an instant.

<Deploy! Deploy! Deploy!> The Orca's hatch opens, and Breach Prime leaps. They hit the ground running, stacking up to the turret husk in the middle of the platform. A flurry of lasfire clatters off of the wreck. The guardsmen that were lucky enough to hunker down in the rearmost armored car try their best to repel their invaders, but the focus on the breach team leaves them open to the razorsharks above. Another volley of plasma fills the door to the car, and Breach Prime moves up.  
As soon as the burst fire ends, a flash fills the car. Breach Prime is in, and with pistols, they claim a few guardsmen while taking stock of the room and finding cover. No explosives. They arm their pulse blasters and when the return volley lightens, burn through the rest of the resistance in the room.

<Breach Prime clear! See you on the other side, La'rua.> The drop team breaks off, quickly falling to the horizon behind the train.

"SIR! SI-" The howl of AA fire comes to an end, "Commissar, xenos have lost two fighters, and broken off! We're clear!"

Rook grimaces. "Keep men moving towards the back. That attack was small. And focused on our defenses. If they'd wanted this train destroyed, it wouldn't have looked like that. Simpering blueskins." He pushes past his litany with a huff, smoke billowing behind him.

"Sir?" Officer Hurley follows behind him.

"We've been _boarded,_ you _rube!_ " Rook snarls, "Get men back there to **kill them!** " And with that, he storms off into the officer's cabin.

Breach Prime clears their second car just as they enter the next tunnel. They gather around Vre'Shi'ur as he brings up a hololithic model of the train. <We've got our work cut out for us, team. Imagery shows this vessel is about eight eights long. Hopefully the pattern we've met so far holds up, and most of the ordinance will be towards the front cars, we'd have a bit more freedom of fire starting off.>

A shriek of reverberation from the intercom sends a shiver through the breach team. "Attention, guardsmen," a gruff voice crackles over the archaic radio, "This is your Commissar, Balthazar Rook. Now I know you all thought this would be some simple transport mission, in which you would be honored to ride and die on behalf of Our Glorious Emperor." There's a brief pause of a sigh, and the telltale thud of a cigar being roughly extinquished in an ashtray. "Things have just complicated. On the rear of our train, there is currently an infestation of xenos seeking to disrupt our holy mission. So let me be abundantly clear. By day's end, guardsmen, you will be dead. And your death will be a choice: You may die, protecting and serving the Emperor's Will; or, you will die honorless and damned, a heretical deserter. If this train is stopped and any of you are still alive, you will have opted for the latter. May His Glorious Light show you mercy, so that you show none to His enemies." Another pause for his cigar. "Both He, and I, will be watching."

La'Tan'saro looks to Vre'Shi'ur. Breach Prime has readied at the next armored car. <Do we want to know what he just said?>

<'They're here, kill them.'> In a fluid motion, Vre'Shi'ur elbows the button opening the door, and tosses the flash grenade in.

 **"SHIT!"** Panic erupts in the train car and when the flash goes of, the breach team peeks in to see the room free of guardsmen. Crates line the walls, and the indicators in their HUDs go off.

<Explosives. Ui'Lunsu, secure those.> Vre'Shi'ur looks to the open door on the opposite end of the car. <They must have thought that was an explosive grenade.>

<Didn't their commander just tell them to die fighting?> Ui'Lunsu calls over his shoulder.

<It's hard to overpower instinct, Ui'Lunsu. Sometimes, your legs just move.> Vre'Shi'ur braces against the next doorway. The guardsmen are looking back from across the platform, the situation quickly dawning on them. He presses the button and the door closes. <What've we got?>

<No warheads, not sure if you'd count that as fortunate or not.>

<We might be able to use these up the train. I certainly don't want to try and outgun an AA platform with just a blaster.> La'Tan'saro plucks a grenade out of a crate and weighs it in his hand.

<Good call. Let's keep that in mind as we move up. Bringing those crates now will only slow us down.> Vre'Shi'ur motions for his team to join him by the door.

The next few cars go with little incident. It becomes quickly apparent that the gue'la assigned to this suicide mission clearly aren't the types that could help steer a battle on the frontline. Many were likely loaded onto the train at gunpoint. The rest are a little too ready to die. One charge from the guard had almost gotten Breach Prime. They only got so close because it was so puzzling to watch them run across a platform car with no cover nor suppressing fire.

Then they reach their first active Hydra. They hardly have time to close the door when flak shells clatter against the sides of the car. Luckily the Hydras are made for creating clouds of lead tor'kans up in the air, not firing through a heavily armored doorway two tor'leks away. Seems the gue'la new it was a good idea to make sure their own defenses couldn't accidentally set off their explosives.

But the armor wouldn't hold forever. <Time to put my idea to the test.> Vre'Shi'ur gives an affirmative nod, and La'Tan'saro grabs one of the smaller crates. Using mag hooks to secure themselves against the wind, La'Tan'saro, La'Yis, and Ui'Lunsu climb up. The warriors crawl along the top, moving their hooks up as they go.

La'Yis stops. <How are we supposed to shoot this box when this car is getting pummeled with flak?>

<We don't shoot it.> La'Tan'saro pops the crate open and takes a single grenade. <Get ready to kick this thing.>

He pulls the pin, and jams the grenade back into place, clasping the crate shut as quickly as he can. He snaps his hands back and La'Yis kicks with all her might. The crate sails off the edge, landing near perfectly in front of the Hydra, and the team scrambles back down the train car.

The blast rocks the whole train and rattles off of the tunnel walls. Hurley flinches. "Did they set off one of the warheads?!"

"If they had, I wouldn't've have had to hear that stupid question leave your mouth." Rook's gaze is fixed towards the back of the train, one arm crossed under the other, propping a hand to his chin. The occasional puff of cigar smoke leaves his nostrils, but otherwise, he's statuesque. His eyes shift left, wheels turning. "They can't be halfway up the train yet." He looks to his officers. "Which one of you asked that stupid question?"

The other subordinates step away from the guilty party. Hurley timidly squeaks, "I-I did, sir." Even though it's obvious, only a dead man would leave Commissar Rook unanswered.

"Call back some of the men, make a choke point at some point past the furthest warhead car. Then break off the rest of the train." Hurley gives a meek salute, then rushes down the train.

\----

<Empty.> Breach Prime share looks, this is the first car they've opened that was empty _before_ they'd arrived.

<Could be set up behind the next weapon platform. They have the whole length of this thing to fight us on.> The Ui'Qan'suam posits.

<That makes sense. We have been plowing through them. Really only got slowed down by the last one.> La'Tan'saro motions to the previous car. <Should we try the crates again? You wanna kick the bomb crate this time, Ui'Shone'nan?>

Vre'Shi'ur spends this time examining the car around him. He looks below his hooves to the jointed floor between the platform and the car. <Ui'Qan'suam, come look at this.> He's joined by his Shas'ui in staring at the mechanism below them. <The connections, they've been like this for every link in the vessel. They look almost weak.>

Ui'Qan'suam ponders.<Maybe the vessel is modular? We saw some of the rails in the Gue'vesa compounds, but none of them alternated between weapon platform and car like this.>

Vre'Shi'ur looks to the next car, and it comes together for him. He rushes to the next closed door. Ui'Qan'suam jumps and calls over his shoulder, < **Stack up!** >

Breach Prime rushes to get into position, but Vre'Shi'ur just jams the button as soon as he reaches it. The team flattens against the walls in a panic. Silence. <Their posts are abandoned. They're decoupling the back of the vessel! **_Move!!_** >

<Wait, _wait!_ I have an idea!> La'Yis calls after the rest of the team as they start off. <It may be risky, but we could move along the tops with our packs! They'll be expecting us to come through the door at whatever car they're decoupling!>

Vre'Shi'ur ponders this, then moves to climb the next car. Ui'Lunsu joins him. They feel out the force of the wind as they peer over the top. <Our jetpacks should definitely have the thrust to overpower this wind. Kirsa'la's onto something. We move across the tops until we find them, and we'll know that the ordinance is past them.>

Vre'Shi'ur hangs back down to face his team. <Breach Prime, let's move up!>

\----

"What're you idiots doing?!" Hurley shouts with more panic than rage. "Get that thing free already!"

"We're trying, sir! That blast rocked the joints too, they're damaged!" A pair of guardsmen are struggling with the mount between the cars, trying to use their bayonets to wrench it open.

Hurley mutters his way to the back of the defensive line. "They won't get through, Hurley, there's practically a regiment on this platform alone. Even if they open that door in time, they're dust." He groans through his reassurances, pulling his pistol and steadying himself on the man in front of him.

With not much to look at, he watches the techs continue to battle with the housing. They occasionally pull their hands back from getting pinched in the mechanisms. Frustration mounting quickly, Hurley looks to the obstructed heavens for some form of mercy. He's met with horror. He lets out a breathless whine, sputtering and stammering. Flares of light dance over the top of the car, getting brighter, a clear sign of the xenos approaching. "Guh- deh- ...buh." The man in front of him turns back to see his completely pallid face locked upwards.

He follows his eyes just in time to see Breach Prime leap from the car before them, taking aim. _**"UUUUUPP!!"**_

A hail of plasma paints the back of the platform, burning away a massive portion of the unsuspecting soldiers in waiting. Breach Prime lands gracefully at the face of the Hydra. They solidify their position with the deaths of the guardsmen at the coupling. The Hydra's operator tries to aim a laspistol through the narrow window of the turret, and is greeted with a splash of blue fire.

Hurley is frozen, standing at the back of his hunkered forces. With a clear view over his line, he sees the glowing blue eyes of a xenos helmet peek around the turret. His rigor leaves him, and he collapses to the ground in shock. His cowardice spares him the blinding flash that takes his men. He looks up to see the xenos crush the rest of their resistance, six figures wreathed in the light of the burning platform. He scrambles to his feet and bolts through the doorway, closing it behind him. It barely closes before he's out the other side of the car, in full retreat.

Breach Prime takes stock, making sure there's no one still ready to ambush them. <We're close. Ui'Lunsu, Sral, both of you be ready to disarm, there may be multiple warheads in the cars ahead.> They continue to exercise caution while moving forward, stacking up to the next car.

\----

Rook groans as he sees Hurley rush up from the back of the train. "Why are you back?"

"M-more men! We need more men to the back!" He coughs and sputters, trying to catch his breath. "...They're monsters! They, they... Killed all of them!"

"Wait, 'All of them?' Who is, 'All of them?' How many of the men did you gather to decouple the train?"

Hurley's breathlessness shifts from exhaustion to panic. "A-all of the men from the back, li-like you said-"

"I said _**some**_ of the men." Rook's expression doesn't change, but his fists clench tightly around his coat. "You pulled all of them. Even the AA pilots?"

"W-we were abandoning the back of the train, why would we leave the men on the A-"

"To slow down the _**xenos!"**_ Rook's shout looks more like a dragon's breath with the swirl of fumes. "What of the warheads? How close were you to them?!"

"W-we-we moved the warheads up! I wanted t-to be sure that th-they'd stay safe, j-j-j-just in case-"

"In case you failed? You were expecting my plan to _fail?!"_ Rook pulls his pistol and brings it right up to Hurley's face. "Why. _Are._ **You.** _**Back?"**_

"I- I... I..." Hurley stammers for an excuse. "I-I have knowledge of the xenos force on our train! Th-they have jump packs, and plasma weapons, the- those- flash grenades! There were only six of them! We can use that knowledge!" Rook draws his pistol back, still raised in the air. "...We can use it, right?!"

"Is that everything?" Rook raises his eyebrows.

"Y-yes, si-" Rook brings the pistol back down. Hurley's head bursts in a cloud of fire and blood.

"Idiot." He looks to his litany. "Grab _ **some**_ men, that means _enough to move warheads,_ and go make sure that slug didn't _also_ screw up securing them. **_That,_** means move them up the train." Rook starts for the back of the ship.

"Sir? Where are you going?" The officer that pipes up practically swallows his tongue when Rook glares over his shoulder.

"To do the job that I _**can't afford**_ to leave to you bumbling _cretins."_

\----

An indicator flashes green, and Ui'Lunsu revels, presenting his accoplishment to the world with a flourish, <And the warhead is defused! Easy as that, Kirsa'las!> After breaking up the blockade, Breach Prime made major strides. The Guard had been put on their back foot, and couldn't make time to set up a good choke point before the T'au had reached their first warhead.

<Don't get too puffed up, Ui'Lunsu.> Ui'Qan'suam has his blaster locked on the next door. <That's one. Who knows how many they've loaded onto this thing.>

<I still say we should've moved to take the train while we still had momentum. The bombs aren't going to get _more_ activated if we keep the fight going.> Ui'Shone'nan is right behind Ui'Qan'suam, itching for the next fight.

<We're mitigating the threat. With what we've learned, they were likely going to break off cars from the main vessel as they reached the city, maximizing the affected area.>Vre'Shi'ur squats by Ui'Lunsu as he closes the case for the bomb. <Ui'Lunsu, job well done. We'll leave it here for now. Anyone looking to get it back would have to get past us first. Breach Prime, we're moving up!> He motions and the team forms on him.

Crouched by the door, Vre'Shi'ur looses a blind shot under it as it opens, and La'yis whips a flash through the opening. Vre'Shi'ur notices their reaction and rolls through the doorway into cover. Right after the bang, the guardsmen spring up, firing.

<Did you see that? They hunkered down for the flash grenade.> Ui'Lunsu shouts over the hail of lasfire peppering the doorway.

<Looks like they're finally learning, this should be interesting.> La'Tan'saro bounces a few shots off of the floor in front of the gue'la, and when Vre'Shi'ur takes his opening to fire, La'Tan'saro dives into the room as well.

Spreading out the firepower, Breach Prime works their way into the car one at a time, until the defenders are almost entirely suppressed. Then the door slides open on the far end of the car. Bolt rounds rock the cover of Breach Prime, and they take cover. Taking a page from their book, Commissar Rook sends a crate of grenades hurtling towards the T'au, and takes aim. La'Tan'saro sees it, and without hesitation, he slides behind the crate. Kicking it back across the car, he readies his pistol.

Which Rook was waiting for. He raises the boltgun ever-so-slightly, and a shot bursts against La'Tan'saro's shoulder plate. He howls in pain, and is pulled aside by Vre'Shi'ur. La'Yis peeks out with her own pistol trained on the crate. Rook slams the button to the door and leaps back, the blast sending the car lurching forward, being funneled out the door behind Breach Prime.

Rook rises to his feet, and as soon as he gets his bearings, the door comes clattering off its housing. The xenos takes aim, and Rook dives for cover. They exchange a few shots back and forth, but neither one meets their target. Rook falls back into the next car. Across the platform he can see the xenos huddle up, defending their position.

A thought strikes the Commissar. They've been defending this entire time. Letting the xenos come to them on their terms. They've spent all this time trying to hold out, against six little blue men, and they've had these soldiers, the Emperor's chosen people, on the run. A single charge could've crushed these xenos ages ago. He feels his stomach turn at his own stupidity. It's time to gather the men.

\----

Rook stands in furious silence taking steady puffs from a quickly draining cigar. Behind him, another beheaded officer lies on the ground. _"Fucking xenos."_ He turns around to see the crew rallied behind him. "Is this everyone? _Save the Hydra gunners?"_

"Y-yessir." An officer stands at attention, hands behind his back, avoiding eye contact.

"They have one of our _bloody_ warheads. Six _**fucking xenos**_ on a train of nearly _five hundred men._ And they've killed almost _three hundred._ They have made a _mockery_ of my station, and _ **I will have their heads.**_ If anyone turns back, they are a dead man. Am I **perfectly clear?"**

"...Sir." The officer turns and shouts to the mass behind him, _**"FIX BAYONETS!!!"**_

The platform roars into the light of the open sky as the train leaves the tunnel, and the guardsmen charge forth, their Commissar watching on. The stampeding force thunders through the train, until they finally reach the contested cars. Flash grenades only serve to make the men charge blindly into the coming fire, but true to their orders, none turn back. As Breach Prime is pushed further and further back, they start pulling the frag grenades from the crates in the rear cars to buy more time. The Commissar makes his way to the frontline as it thins before him. As he gets close, he's narrowly missed by a strafe from Razorsharks overhead. They're evacuating.

 ** _"KILL THEEEMM!!!!"_** Guardsmen rush forward but are mowed down by the storm of pulse fire from the fighters. Still a few cars back from the action, he watches on. He fills with rage upon seeing the Orca drop cables, soon occupied by the ascending breach team. One, two, three, four, five. Only five? His heart races with excitement. He reaches the rear car, resounding with cheers, and comes upon one of his officers holding high a box. The warhead. They're shrouded in the darkness of the next tunnel, and he strides up to the officer with a smile on his face.

"Where's the last xenos?" He's quickly matching his men's energy.

_**"Dead!"** _

He almost hugs him. He laughs a hearty laugh, "Come on, let's see him, then! Where is the little blue bastard?!"

"He's back that way! Wasn't here with them when I got up here!"

The Commissar's excitement begins to fade. "Did you see it? Did you see him die?!"

"He wasn't here-"

 **"Did you _see_ it?!"** The cheers start to die down. Rook scans his men. **"Who killed the xenos?"**

Silence falls around him. Everyone looks around, wondering. Rook boils. _**"WHO SAW THE XENOS DIE?!"**_

He looks to his officer, who is now clutching the warhead in fear. He knocks it from the officer's hands and grabs him by the scruff of the collar. Wait. He looks at the warhead that just clattered onto the platform. But it sounded... No. He drops the officer to snap up the warhead. flicking open the clasps, he lifts the lid...

_...Empty._

\----

The rail car is thick with the haze of smoke. <Breach Prime, _status!_ > Vre'Shi'ur calls out, fearing the worst. Ui'Qan'suam is off, storming up to the far door and slams into it. It buckles off of its track. He and Rook exchange a few shots back and forth, but neither one meets their target. Rook falls back into the next car. Ui'Lunsu joins Ui'Qan'suam at the warped doorway.

<Ui'Lunsu, clear!>

<Ui'Shone'nan, clear!>

<Ui'Qan'suam, clear!>

<La'Yis!> Vre'Shi'ur slides up to the girl, doing her best to get La'Tan'saro's shoulder plate loose. He groans and hisses at every tug and shift. <... _La'Yis!_ >

<Clear! Clear! La'Tan'saro's hurt, sir! I'm fine!> She's clearly not taking it well.

<How bad is it, Shas'vre?> La'Tan'saro presses the button behind his helmet, opening his visor to give a weak smile. <End of my Velu career? So close to going pro, too...>

<Knock it off, La'Tan'saro. Can you move?> La'Yis sprays a salve on the wound. La'Tan'saro clutches his breastplate in agony, but gives a nod. <Alright, we're gonna move you back to the warhead, you stay there and keep it safe->

<About that. Hey Ui'Shone'nan,> La'Tan'saro gives a wave calling her over. <Could you bring up the map? Where are we now?>

She taps on her wristcom, and the hologram spills forth. <We're here.> She points to the illuminated line on the map, underneath the mountain. <We're coming up on the exit to the second tunnel now. About eight raik'or.>

<Excellent.> La'Tansaro grunts trying to sit upright. <Further up the map- can I see the third tunnel? I saw something earlier.>

<Where are you going with this, La'Tan'saro?> Vre'Shi'ur moves to steady him.

<There.> He points to the map, over the third tunnel. <Tunnel three's not boring through a mountain like tunnel two, it's going under. Even though the region is flat. Why?>

Ui'Shone'nan taps a few more spots on her screen, bringing up a datalog on the planet. <There's an anomaly in the magnetosphere of that region. The area is heavily irradiated.>

<So it's unlivable? Barren?>

<Referencing mapping from the Rebels, the tunnel seems to be the only planned artificial object in the region.>

<You want to blow the train.> Vre'Shi'ur backs away from him, shocked.

<This Es'Gue'la is gonna make the rest of this fight a Snae'ta. He might even detonate the warheads early in the next city if he feels like he's lost too much ground.> La'Tan'saro adjusts himself. <To keep pushing further will only push _him_ further into desperation. So I say we call Drop Team, get you guys out of here, I hide, and when I get a safe distance into the next tunnel, I detonate it.>

<We could just set a timer, and get you out of here with us.> Ui'Shone'nan works furiously on her wristcom, making calculations.

<No, no, that's too risky. They find the warhead, they could disarm it themselves, or even dump it, and that's just worse. Someone has to stay and guard it until it's safe to detonate.>

<Whatever we choose, we need to choose fast.> Ui'Qan'suam calls from the door. <The longer we wait, the more time they have to push on us.>

<And the shorter our window to call for evac.> Vre'Shi'ur stands rigid. Scenarios turn in his head, trying to find a better solution.

<You know it's the best we've got.> La'Tan'saro cuts through it all. <My pack's fried from the Es'Gue'la anyway. There wouldn't be a clean evac with me there.> He turns to show how fragments of his armor and the bolt round are burrowed into his jetpack, sending sparks and small streams of smoke up.

<Kirsa'la, You'll need someone to arm that thing. Maybe even some fire support.>

<You should only need to arm it. More people only means more chances of getting caught. If you guys can draw them to the back of the vessel, I could sneak up and maybe find the rest of the warheads, then lock myself in with them.>

<Sral, Ui'Lunsu, get the warhead out of the case. We can use it to draw them away, and it'll give him something less bulky to carry.> Vre'Shi'ur walks out onto the platform behind them. <I'll see if I can reach Drop Team. We should be close enough to the surface to get something through. We have our positions, people, **move.** >

The next few moments are a blur. Ui'Lunsu and Ui'Shone'nan work seamlessly together taking the bomb apart. Vre'Shi'ur hails Drop Team to relay the plan. When the unpackaged bomb is complete, Vre'Shi'ur brings it to La'Tan'saro, and pulls him in, cautiously, for an embrace. "To'Tau'va, _La'Kiv'rai'ka."_

The young T'au is taken aback. A _name._ In Vre'Shi'ur's eyes, he'd earned a name this day. Tears roll down his face, and he chokes out a soft, "To'Tau'va." When they come apart, La'Kiv'rai'ka reseals his helmet, and thumps his chest a few times to amp himself up. They empty one of the larger explosives crates, dumping the contents off the side, and usher him in to hide.

Raik'or pass and the train is bathed once again in the light of day. The sound of thunderous footfalls and warcries pour through the train, and as they die down, La'Kiv'rai'ka makes his way out of hiding. He moves cautiously, luckily the charging guardsmen weren't really of the sensibility to close the doors behind them. He wouldn't make the same mistake, being sure to sabotage every button on the way up to slow their return. Luckily, the trip up is even easier than he'd hoped. He was expecting anyone to be waiting, Hoping to catch them unexpected. But the only ones standing guard were the Hydra operators, too busy keeping eyes on the skies.

He keeps his pistol ready, just in case, and he does use it. Once. On the radio operator in the officer's car. Then he makes a wondrous revelation. The officer's car is meant to be the most fortified. It's the only train car with manual doors. Manual doors that can be barred shut. He settles in, and makes himself comfortable in the Commissar's chair. He waits just a little longer than he has to, and it pays off, as he hears pounding on the doors of the car, and the fuming sounds of a furious Gue'la. Music to his ears. A lovely lullaby into his final sleep, as he presses the makeshift trigger to his handheld warhead.

\----

From the rooftops of the city at the edge of the wastes, Breach Prime watches the horizon crumble. The explosion sends tons of rock and soil into the air, leaving a horrifying staple of the Imperium's destructive power. Sunlight dances through the raining earth. It's almost beautiful, yet the weight still hangs. These men fought, and _died,_ all in an effort to destroy an entire city. A city of their fellow people. They would sooner have everyone be dead than accept help from the T'au.

Everyone on Breach Prime had seen the scars in the night sky. An entire half of the galaxy cut off from their protectors. Whispers of the horrors of the Fourth Sphere. A darkness so vast that it drove an entire Shan'al to murder their allies. They felt so small against the depth of the mire before them. They could hardly stop men without wanton destruction, and the T'au are meant to pull this entire galaxy from the brink? To save everyone from themselves?

<La'Kiv'rai'ka was a good name for him.> Ui'Lunsu breaks up the wallowing spiral. <Quick-witted.>

<Sometimes, in too many ways.> Ui'Shone'nan puts an arm around La'Yis' shoulder, gives her a jostle and a smile. <At least he'll be easy to remember.>

La'Yis works hard to bring a smile to her face. <Definitely.> Her voice is strained. Ui'Shone'nan brings her close for a hug.

Ui'Qan'suam gives a solemn nod. <He will be sorely missed.>

Breach Team returns to silence. It's cut through by the chirp of their comms. <Shas'vre, we should get headed back to Uash'o. They'll want to know about the detonation.>

Vre'Shi'ur holds for a moment, giving them all time to gather themselves. <...Affirmative, Orca. Embarking.> He motions to his team, and they rise. Vre'Shi'ur stops at the top of the ramp, and faces them. <There's nothing to be done. Surrender would only allow for men like that Es'Gue'la to go unimpeded. We can only hope that someday, we will make that same amount of difference that La'Kiv'rai'ka did this day. Until then, we will honor his memory hunting for that moment.> And with that, they enter the ship.


End file.
